Combination transmission and throttle control



Oct. 7, 1941. J, NICQL 2,257,852

` COMBINATION TRANSMISSION AND THROTTLE CONTROL l v1.L1edN0v. so, 1958 gwn/whom :fab/7 Nicol @ZM- XMI/Wm Patented Oct. 7, 1941 COMBINATION TRANSMISSION AND THBOTTLE CONTBDL i John Nicol, Detroit, Mich., assigner to Divco- Twin Truck Company, Detroit, Mich., a cor- A poration of Michigan l Application November 30, 1938, Serial No. 243,252

7Clalnis.

My invention relates to multiple function control devices and is more particularly concerned with combined transmission and throttle control devices for automotive vehicles.

Automotive vehicles in general use today are the results of progressive designing and planning calculated to provide comfort, ease of operation, improved appearance and other desirable qualities.

Many of the new designs in current use today eliminate the old form of transmission control lever which extended upwardly from the gear box at the middle of the front floor of the vehicle and now provide a short, rigid gear shift lever extending laterally' from the steering post below the steering wheel.

In the present invention this new design of transmission control has been modified to further simplify the vehicle controls by embodying a throttle control mechanismlat the transmission control adjacent the steering wheel so that steering, throttle and transmission controls are all operable by one hand of the operator from substantially only one position of that hand.

With the above in mind it is a major object of the present invention to provide a novel multiple function control system for an automotive vehicle which is conveniently accessible to the operator, provides additional foot or load space at the front floor of the vehicle, is simple and inexpensive in design and provides a neat and pleasing appearance within the vehicle. Specifically, the control system operates the transmission and engine throttle of the vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel combination transmission and throttle control arrangement mounted upon a relatively rigid part of a vehicle a substantial distance above the floor of the vehicle to provide ample foot or load space at the oor. Specifically Ithis control arrangement is mounted on the steering post just below the steering wheel.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel vehicle control embodying a swingable transmission control lever extending laterally from the steering post and an operating handle for the lever which is also operable to control the engine throttle. Specifically the operating handle is provided with a suitable Bowden wire connection or the like to the carburetor of the engine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel compound lever for operating the transmission and engine throttle of an automotive vehicle wherein manipulation of the lever to (Cl. 'i4-472) actuate the transmission is substantially ineffective upon the throttle and vice versa.

Further objects of the invention will presently appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended. claims and the annexed drawing in which y Figure l is a plan view, partly in section, illustrating an embodiment of the invention comprising a combined transmission and throttle control mounted upon the steering post of an automotive vehicle.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, with parts broken away and partly in section, of the control of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken generally along line 3--3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view partly in section taken generally along line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the throttle control may be manipulated by the operators hand while the latter rests partly on the steering wheel.

Referring to Figure 1, a steering post I I, which is rigidly supported within an automotive vehicle in any manner well known in the art, houses the usual steering rod I2 which is ordinarily provided at its top end with a conventional steering wheel and at its bottom end with suitable connections for operating the steering wheels of the vehicle.

A bifurcated bracket below the steering wheel (not shown) and is made rigid with post II by tightening suitable bolt means Il so as to draw the arms of bracket I3 tightly about post II. v

At the outer end of bracket I3 is a socket portion I5 formed at its upper edge with a generally spherical concave seat I6 and provided with a downwardly and outwardly tapered bore Il.

- A `hollow lever I8 is provided at one end with a substantially normally disposed fitting I9 formed with a generally convex seat portion 2l adapted to interfit with seat I6 on the bracket. Fitting I9 is formed with a circumferential flange 22 above seat 2|. Fitting I9 is hollow and is adapted to receive the endvportion of a generally vertically disposed hollow tube 23. Tube 23 and fitting I9- are preferably rigid with each other, being provided with cooperating screw threads or pressed in tight frlctional engagement or the like. Fitting I9 may be integral with or rigidly attached to lever I8 in vany suitable manner.

A rod 24, appreciably smaller in diameter than Y the interior of tube 23 extends upwardly through tube 23 and is formed at its upper end with ,u

I3 embraces post II justv n nam within a socket ze at one end of arm 21 axially disposed within lever I2. Rod 24 is provided. with a slender neck portion which extends through a slotted wall of socket d ball 22 is larger than the slot in the so that vertical motion in both directions is imparted to rod 24 when arm 21 is rocked about its pivot as will later be descrlbed/ y Tube 22 extends downwardly adiiacent the steering post to the door of the vehicle where both tube 22 and rod 24 are connected operatively to a suitable transmission mechanism. Since the specinc connections of tube 22 and rod 24 to the transmission mechanism are well known and in general use today and do not concern applicants invention it is not necessary to describe the same fully here. It is believed sumcient to state that oscillation of lever I2 in the plane of the paper in Figure 1 actuates tube 22 to effect fore and aft motion of the gear selector mechanism while rocking of arm 21 about pin 22 produces lateral or selective motion of the gear selector mechanism. Lever l2 is slotted at 22 directly below arm 21 to permit free rocking motion of arm 21 i Since tube 22 extends closely adjacent the steering post ample floor space is provided adjacent the steering post. 'I'his is desirable in passenger cars for increased leg room and in certain trucks for increased load floor space.

Rock ann 21 is provided with a pivot pin 22 which extends substantially diametrically across lever I2 adjacent its free end. Pin 22 is journaled in suitable apertures 22 in the walls of lever I2. If desired, pin 22 may be rigid with lever i2 and rotatably connected with rock arnr 21 I2 and fits within an axial socket 2| in a handle member 32. Within the socket arm 21 is provided with a circumferential Igroove 22 which cooperates with a round key or pin 24 on lever i2 to prevent axial displacement of handle 22 along arm 21. Handle 22 can be removed from arm 21 when pin 24 is removed.

Socket 2| preferably fits smoothly about the outer surface of arm 21 so that handle 22 may be rotated axially, this rotation being permitted by pin 24 and groove 32. Preferably socket 2| is slightly binding frictionally on arm 21 so that handle 22 cannot vbe accidentally rotated by ordinary gear shift manipulations and so that a xed position of rotation of the handle may be maintained.

Handle 22 is provided at its outer end, which is preferably disposed just adjacent the steering wheel of the vehicle so that it can be easily reached by the fingers of an operator whose hand is resting on the steering wheel, with a knurled grip portion 22, as shown in Figure 5.

Handle 22 is formed with a preferably integral eccentric formation comprising a lug 22 extending substantially radially of the axis of the handle. A ball headed stud 21 of any suitable design is secured to the outer end of lug 22 and extends toward the steering post where its ball head 22 is received with a suitable socket` 22. Any other suitable substantially universal connection may be used between the flexible cable 4I and lug 22.

Socket 22 is threadedly secured upon a suitable iitting 44 brazed or otherwise fixed upon the upper end of a stranded or flexible cable 4I which extends slidably through an armored cable or conduit 42 to beconnected operatively lt the engine throttle (not shown). Any equiva- Arm 21 extends beyond the open end of lever' AsshowninFlgureslandZanaxis ofthe universal connection at 22 preferably lies in the same plane as theaxis 'of the pivot 22 for a purpose to be later explained. Conduit 42 is preferably clamped to the steering post or attached to the body of the vehicle in some suitable manner so that it operation of the vehicle.

In operation gear shifting 'manipulations are carried out by grasping handle grip 25 and actuating the same to cause tube 22 and rod 24 to perform their respective gear shifting functions just as though a conventional shift lever were used instead of the compound throttle connected lever of the inventionl During these gear shifting manipulations accidental rotation of handle 22 upon arm 21 is prevented by the relatively tight frictional fit of arm 21 in socket 2|. However, whenever it is desired to manipulate the engine throttle, especially during gear shifting manipulation, it is necessary only to rotate handle 22 about its axis on arm 21.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2. rotation of handle 22 in a clockwise direction, looking from right to left, will cause socket 22 to be displaced upwardly through the medium of lug 22, stud 21 and ball head 22. Since socket 22 is fixed to the flexible cable 4I, the latter ispulled along conduit 42 to actuate the engine throttle toward open position. Conduit 42 is fixed to projection 42 and therefore cannot move with respect to lever I2.

With the handle 22 in the throttle idling position as illustrated in Figures l and 2, the center of ball 22- is aligned with the axis of pivot pin 22 so that no gear shifting manipulations of the lever I2 and rock arm 21 have any tendency to operate the throttle control.

As handle 22 is rotated to open the throttle the center of ball 22 remains in the same general plane as the axis of pivot 22 but of course is no does not interfere with longer aligned therewith so that manipulationv of the rock arm 21 with the throttle handle rotated to open position may have some slight tendency to actuate the throttle control.

However, the angular movement required of handle 22 during gear shifting manipulations is very small and the effect of manipulating rock arm 21 under these conditions is hardly noticeable and can be easily compensated if desired by rotation of handle 22 in the opposite direction. In any event the above described arrangement enables the throttle to be operated entirely independently of the gear shift mechanism and enables the gear shift mechanism to be manipulated withqut any appreciable effect on the throttle mechanism.r l

The invention may be embodied in other specicforms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered iniall respects 'as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than bythe foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A combined throttle and transmission operating mechanism comprising a swingably mounted lever adapted to be operatively connected to the transmission, a manually operable handle member movably mounted on the free end of said lever, a ilexible throttle actuating cable supported adjacent an end by said lever and a universal connection between said cable and handle member.

2. In an engine propelled vehicle having a steering post and a variable speed transmission, a combined throttle and transmission operating mechanism. comprising a swingably mounted laterally projecting lever on said post adapted to be operatively connected to the transmission, an operating handle adjacent the free end of said lever whereby changes in said transmission may be effected by grasping said handle to swing said lever, throttle actuating means carried by said lever in spaced relation to said handle, said handle being rotatable with respect to said lever and being connected to actuate said throttle actuating means without operating said transmission, the connection between said handle and the throttle actuating means including a universal joint supported by said lever and being associated with said lever and handle in such a manner that movements of the lever to effect said changes in the transmission do not cause appreciable operative movement of said throttle control.

3. A multiple function Vcontrol mechanism comprising a swingable control lever having a manually operable member rotatably mounted thereupon, a projection extending from said lever and a hollow conduit secured to said projection, a. radial arm on said member and control means universally connected to said arm adapted to extend through said conduit, said control means and said control leven performing different functions.

4. A combined transmission and throttle control mechanism comprising a swingable transmission control lever and a manually operable member rotatable upon said lever, a projection extending from said lever and a hollow conduit secured to said projection, a flexible throttle control element extending through said conduit and universally connected to said member eccentrically of its axis of rotation so that rotation of said member actuates the throttle independently of the transmission.

5. In combination a swngably mounted hollow lever, a rock arm pivoted interiorly of lever and extending beyond an open end thereof, a manually operable member mounted upon said arm and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of said arm, a projection rigid with said lever and a hollow conduit secured to said projection, an eccentric formation on said member, a iiexible throttle control element extending through said conduit provided with a universal connection to said formation, said connection and the pivot axis of said arm being substantially in the same plane.

6. In an engine propelled vehicle having a steering post and a variable speed transmission, a laterally projecting transmission control lever freely swingably mounted on said post, a rockable arm on said lever and a movable handle member on said arm, a throttle operating element having an end supported by said lever and a motion transmitting universal connection between said element and rockable arm, said connection being of such nature and so located that control of the throttle is substantially undisturbed by transmission control movements of said lever.

7. In an engine propelled vehicle having a steering post anda variable power transmission means between the engine and the driven wheels of the vehicle, a transmission operating lever swivelly mounted at said post and extending laterally therefrom, a handle member telescopingly and rotatably mounted on said lever at its free end, a projection rigid with said lever and throttle operating means carried by said projection, an eccentric portion at the inner end of said handle, and a ball and socket connection between said eccentric portion and said throttle operating means.

JOHN NICOL. 

